In da club
by escot
Summary: Angel and team celebrate success and run into an unexpected friend. End of season 5 Angel, End of season 9 Buffy. Disclaimer: I don't own the characters.


"This place is pumpin'!" Gunn roared over the base filled music. "I haven't seen it this busy since…never!" He laughed, moving his body to the music and leaning over the rails of the raised area. He looked back at Angel who was frowning, scanning the huge warehouse club. "What's up!" he shouted.

Angel looked at him and relaxed, Gunn's love for the music, the atmosphere and life almost making him smile lightly.

"I guess I'm just not too accustomed to this form of night life," he joked, leaning down next to his friend. "Are Wes and Fred meeting us here?"

"Yeah!" Gunn beamed, "Took a bit of persuading, but they'll get here."

Angel chuckled, taking a sip of his bottle of beer.

"You know, this is exactly what keeps me going through the end of the world threats. Life. Love. Music. Fun. And a distinct lack of demons." Gunn told Angel, concerned as he frowned. "What?"

Angel turned his head to him, keeping his body facing the large expanse of the club which spread three meters below them. "If there's a lack of demons, why are my demon senses going crazy?"

"They are?" Gunn's smile faded as he quickly began to scan the occupants of the club. "How come I can't see any then?" he said frustrated, "Ten years of fighting bad and I can't find a big assed needle in a haystack."

"That's it though," Angel said animated, "I can't see anything either," He said frustrated.

"You're maybe just used to feeling the worst. I mean after the last few months it's pretty understandable!" He smiled again, relaxing as he scanned below.

Angel looked at him curiously as he let out a chuckle, his body gently moving before he raised his bottle of beer to his lips. Feeling Angel's eyes on the back of his head he stood up, resting his hands on the barrier and nodding at the crowd. "Check the group of girls that have just come in. Hotties after hotties."

Angel followed his eyes, watching as a group of twenty girls took to the dance floor, very obviously excited about the prospect of the club. Shaking his head in despair, he turned and smiled as Wesley and Fred walked over.

"I thought I'd never find you in this place!" Wesley exclaimed, "It's huge."

"Capacity of three thousand!" Gunn said proudly.

"You checking out the new arrivals?" Fred smiled at him knowingly, nodding at the females which had taken to the floor.

"Only quickly." He laughed, "Boss here aint too pleased. Maybe his top lawyer is supposed to act all mature and noble."

"Well, you have your pinstripes on." Wesley noted smirking at the younger man as he handed over a bottle of beer. "Here's to us. Angel Investigations, saving the world once more." Wesley raised his bottle, all of them grinning from ear to ear as they clinked glasses.

Fred squeezed into the railings between Angel and Gunn, looking down at the dance floor in awe.

"It looks even bigger than it did over there." Fred said shocked. "So many people."

"So many people dancing!" Gunn smiled, his feet and body bobbing slightly to the beat.

"And so many girls?" Wesley laughed.

"Not girls Wesley, women!" he said matter of fact, "And gorgeous ones at that." Gunn tried not to drool as he studied the crowd.

"Plenty hot looking guys too." Fred stated looking around closely.

"Hey," Angel nudged her gently, "You're standing next to three of them," he joked.

"And I've found my future wife." Gunn muttered quietly.

"Which one?" Angel laughed gently looking at him.

"Which one what?" Wesley asked, Fred matching his confusion.

Angel nodded at Gunn, "He's found his future wife apparently."

Gunn stood up, getting ready to move. "The blonde, petite, on the edge of the pack of girls, furthest towards the bar."

The other three all followed his sightline, working on his description.

"That's not your future wife Gunn," Angel said matter of fact, a small hint of anger in his voice.

"I think she is." Gunn smiled.

"You've got your competition worked out for you, she has a lot of attention." Fred joked.

"You're doubting my hotness?" Gunn laughed at her, teasing her after their relationship.

"I thought you'd like the brunette next to her more?" Angel asked, trying to be casual. All three of his friends looked at him a little confused as he failed to pull a veil over his emotions.

"No, I like the blonde." Gunn said matter of fact, getting a little frustrated. Making his move, he was shocked as Angel's hand appeared on his shoulder.

"Leave her alone Gunn." He said quietly, warning him with his eyes.

"Why?" he asked annoyed.

"Because she's mine." Angel said softly.

"Yeah right, since when have you been chasing after the girls?" Gunn looked at him as if he was mad.

"Since she's mine." He said simply.

"What? You going to go and fight for her in amongst the other guys or are you just going to stand up here the whole night and look down upon her like a stalker?" he asked getting more annoyed and frustrated with his friend. He watched as anger flashed upon Angel's face, watching his eyes closely, he was sure a hint of yellow flicked across them. Angel clenched his fist at his side, looking down at the huge crowd, his eyes instantly finding the petite blonde before handing Gunn his bottle of beer and pushing past him.

Gunn watched him leave, turning to follow him before Wesley's arm appeared on his shoulder, holding him back a little.

"Let him go Charles," he shouted steadily above the music.

Gunn turned and glowered, "Why should I?"

Wesley looked quickly at Fred, "Because unless I am very mistaken, that, is Buffy." He explained. Gunn looked at him confused, moving next to Fred once more as they watched Angel's path down from the balcony they were currently at.

Angel walked through the club, the loud music pounding in his ears as he squeezed past people talking, drinking and dancing. Gunn wanted Buffy. Guys wanted Buffy. Guys currently had their hands on Buffy. A small voice in the back of his head questioned his motives, reminding him that Buffy was not his property: his demon and his soul screamed at the voice that that wasn't necessarily the case.

Moving bodies gently and squeezing past others, shouting excuse me, hopefully, above the music, his stomach turned and flipped as he recognised the feeling of having her close to him. The feeling of twenty odd trainee slayers close to him. He was a vampire, they were slayers. She was **the** slayer. The thought of Gunn's hands around her waist ignited a fire inside him again, his demon equally annoyed as his soul.

His height allowed him to see what direction he was heading in; his eyes fixed on a small tuft of blonde which kept disappearing behind guys who were slowly moving in and dancing with the girls. Seeing two guys moving towards her, dancing with her, made all rational thoughts leave his mind as he finally broke through into a pocket of free space next to them. Reaching out he was slightly shocked as Buffy turned around quickly, arm raised at chest height, obviously aware of the vampire behind her, before her face softened and his lips came crashing down onto hers. Buffy's feet barely touched the ground as his arms pulled her torso to his own, his arms holding her upper arms tightly. He relaxed a little as Buffy relaxed against his body, her lips slowly softened before he began to massage them gently with his. His grip on her arms loosened, giving her the option to break away or, as the case was, to move her arms around him, one sneaking around his back and up around his shoulder as the other balanced against his chest. Angel's hand moved around her waist, slowly moving down to the small of her back, relishing the feel of her skin against his hand as her top revealed itself to be backless. His instincts told him to pull her closer, her soft body flush against his hard.

Angel reluctantly pulled back from the kiss as a hand gripped his arm, tugging it away from Buffy's body. Although stronger than an average human's, it wasn't enough to peel his arm away from the blonde who stood in his arms.

He looked at the girl with raised eyebrows before looking down at Buffy, who hadn't moved her eyes from him.

He smiled a half smile at her nervously before leaning down and shouting in her ear "Someone wants to interrupt," he nodded at the expectant face behind her, as Buffy moved out of his arm and turned.

His vampire hearing picked up her shouting it was okay, before she turned and looked at him expectantly as Angel stood and looked at her carefully, studying her every move. Placing her hand into his own she turned and headed towards the bar, pulling him gently behind her.

Reaching the bar Buffy squeezed into a gap, Angel automatically placing a hand against the bar at either side of her body and moving closer so his chest was almost touching her back. He watched as she attracted a barman's attention and placed an order. Before she could reach into her tight pocket for money, Angel's hand left the worktop and returned with a twenty which he handed over. Turning around she thanked him, blushing, before waiting for the barman. Angel frowned, a little frustrated at the loudness of the music and the fact that in normal circumstances he could have heard her heart beat and been able to tell her emotions a little more. Breaking his trail of thought as she turned around in his arms with the drinks, he moved and let her squeeze out, following her with his hand on the base of her back. Steering her over towards a corner table he watched as she placed the drinks down and looked questioningly at the one chair. Taking her hand he sat down on the chair, pulling her down onto one of his knees before allowing his arm to wrap around her waist helping her to balance…or so he told himself.

He looked at her face gently, waiting for her to look at him a little embarrassed.

"Hey." He said lightly; Buffy still hearing him over the music which was a little less loud up on the bar platform. "Hey," she tried to smile nervously, playing with her hands before picking up her drink and having a sip. Angel copied her motion with his spare hand, taking a sip of beer out of the bottle.

"What you drinking?" he asked curious.

"Bourbon coke," she shrugged. Angel looked at her puzzled before Buffy answered the unsaid question, "I don't. Just…circumstances."

"The fact that you've just saved the world or the fact that you're sitting on my knee in a club in LA?"

"Both…and the fact I have no house left. Or job. And young slayers which are dependent on me. And a sister who I have to support. And two friends who are dead." She took a sharp breath in, trying to stop herself from crying. Angel's hand automatically rubbed her back gently, comforting her more than he imagined.

"I still have a hotel." He suggested. "I've some spare rooms. Probably not enough for everyone, but it might be a start," he said hopefully. He watched her eyes turn quickly back to him, her raised eyebrows asking him if he was serious. He nodded gently in response, a smile spreading over his face to mirror her own.

Angel's view moved from Buffy towards the crowd. "I think they're a bit concerned." He nodded at the girls, two of which stood staring with their arms crossed firmly across their chests and an angry look on their faces.

"That's Kennedy and…" she waved her hand, "I can't remember the other one's name," she despaired.

"They your bodyguards?" he teased smirking.

Buffy's amused face turned to face his, her hand playfully swatting him on the chest.

"No," she rolled her eyes, "Although Kennedy would like to think she was my mother."

"Your mother?" he wiggled his eyes suggestively, his spare hand resting on her thigh lightly, his thumb stoking her leg. Leaning in slowly he stopped his face four inches from her own, "Am I allowed to wind her up the same as your mother?" he asked suggestively.

Buffy's eyes kept contact with his own, her face slowly coming closer to his own before their lips met softly. Although the kiss heated up a little, it was kept civilised before it broke off, Angel running his nose down her own and kissing her lips quickly again. His insides soared as she smiled at him, her eyes conveying tenderness and love.

"What you say we give mum something to speak about and head off?"

Buffy grimaced,

"What is it?" he asked gently, his hand slowly stroking her back.

"We're living in a few motel rooms, I'm sharing with like, eight girls."

Buffy swore she heard a growl escape from his chest. Regaining his composure he looked at her seriously, "We can go back to mine? You can have a room to yourself?"

"I don't want to put you out?" She said concerned. She relaxed as a smile spread over Angel's face.

"Buffy, you could stay with me until you're old and wrinkly…though I'll be honest, if there's another man involved I'll struggle," he said seriously.

Buffy smiled at the comfort he provided and stood up slowly, taking his hand in her own and prompting him to stand. Walking back along the platform hand in hand, Buffy got stopped at the bottom of the steps by Kennedy, arms still crossed.

"Buffy, can I have a word please?"

"I'm a bit busy at the moment," Buffy said lightly, smiling up at Angel as his arm snaked around her waist pulling her body next to his own. "I'll see you tomorrow Kennedy," she smiled, taking Angel's hand again and heading in the other direction.

Pulling her hand for her to stop, Angel's mouth tickled her ear as he shouted over the music,

"I'm just going to tell the guys where I'm going." Buffy looked at him warily before he pulled her hand gently, pointing up at where Wesley, Gunn and Fred stood looking at them. Looking at her hopefully, she followed him up the steps to the other platform.

Walking up to Wesley he shouted down into his ear, leaving Buffy to stand nervously besides him. She smiled nervously back at the woman standing next to Wes before Angel turned her attention back to her.

"Buffy, this is Wesley, Fred, Gunn." He pointed around the group.

"Guys, this is Buffy, the slayer."

Everyone nodded and smiled at one another before Angel excused them and led Buffy back down the stairs, putting her in front of him down the stairs, making sure she wasn't crushed from behind.


End file.
